Since 2018, designer Rebecca Ravenna has been steadily developing her independent, contemporary fashion label, Little High, Little Low. Originally known for its vintage band T-shirts, the brand took a moment to refresh and enter a latest chapter this yr with an updated assortment of fashionable essentials and a redesigned website, while upholding its direct-to-consumer, slow fashion and ethical business model, sustainable production practices and overarching inspiration from music. 

“I believe the meaning of Little High, Little Low has modified barely in a way that before it was about mixing a vintage band tee with Chanel, and that was the literal interpretation,” Ravenna, the founder and inventive director, said, adding the brand name was also a nod to mental health. Since then, the designer has evolved her ethos by designing intuitively to only offer high-quality, easy-to-wear essentials that fill the void inside her own closet. 

“My barometer is, ‘Am I eliminating my desire as a consumer to look elsewhere for whatever category we’re talking about?’ If for me, the reply is yes, I still think there are higher, or I can find what I need, then that tells me I either must up my designs, or the style isn’t crucial,” she said, adding her current personal closet is 95 percent full of her brand’s fashions, which helps with the creative strategy of determining which latest styles to launch every month. 

Now, the brand is offering effortless basics with a cool ’90s, minimalist twist with styles named after iconic rock musicians, bands and song lyrics. For example, ribbed stretch cotton “Freddie” tank tops named after Queen’s Live Aid performance; a pair of perfectly slouchy “Ozzy” gray suit trousers; an array of classic cotton T-shirts (each oversize and boxy); vintage-inspired cotton denim, classic mid-rise, straight leg, genderless-cut jeans and more. As well as, the brand’s debut handbag, which dropped this month, boasts a sleek, shoulder bag silhouette in black cowhide leather — a luxe, transitional essential at a pointy price-point. In the long run, the brand plans to supply luxe knits and expand its outerwear program to finish their customer’s mix-and-match, minimalist-minded wardrobe.

As well as, Ravenna hired Tennesha Vanterpool (who she’s known since 2015) as chief operating officer; each Vanterpool and Ravenna emphasized the importance of expanding and connecting with LHLL’s intimate community.

“We’re very energetic in our DMS. I’m continuously encouraging people to DM us with questions and I’ll discuss anything from, ‘Hey, how is your day?’ to ‘What’s coming out? What size should I get on this? How would you style this piece?’ It’s sort of like personal styling and shopping in our DMs; we now have a deep connection to our customer base,” Ravenna said, adding the direct, personal access has not only helped grow their clientele, but developed loyal followers through the years. As well as, the brand emphasizes this connection through their website’s blog, Spotify playlists and in-person events in Chicago.